Grout is a construction material used to seal joints between wall tiles and floor tiles. Grout is typically composed of a mixture of water, cement, sand, and a colour tint. The grout is applied to the joints as a viscous material and hardens over a short period of time.
One of the problems with this type of construction material is that it is porous, which means it can discolour and break down over time. More recently grout sealers have been applied to the dried grout. The grout sealers are water-based or solvent-based sealant that resists water, oil and acid-based contaminants penetrating the grout.
In situations where sealers have not been used or the sealer has degraded over time, the grout can become discoloured and be susceptible to break down by the action of mould or moisture. In these situations a grout saw or grout scraper can be used to remove the grout. The scraper can be a hand held manual tool or a power tool that typically includes a blade composed of tungsten carbide for the removal of old and discoloured grout. The blade may also have hardened chips or granules welded or fused along one edge of the blade.
The blade may be fixed to a handle wherein the user moves the blade back and forth along the grouted joint applying pressure to impinge upon the grout to thereby dislodge the grout. This process requires significant effort and the user must concentrate to ensure that the blade or edge does not jump out from within the joint therefore scratching the tile surface.
The blade can also be mounted on a power tool to reduce the time requirement and prevent user fatigue.
It is also difficult to use the currently available tools to remove grout from joints in confined locations. Furthermore the currently available tools do not control the depth to which the tool can penetrate the surface thereby the operator must pay particular attention to the depth the tool has penetrated the surface.
During renovations or at the time of building, grooves or trenches are created in masonry walls to install pipes or electrical cables. Trenches may also be created during the process of chasing pipes into masonry walls. Currently an angle grinder with a masonry blade is used to cut two grooves down or along the wall, a hammer and chisel or an electric impact chisel is then used to remove the plaster or masonry between the two grooves. Using a hammer and chisel labour is intensive and risks injury and/or unsatisfactory out-comes due to operator fatigue and loss of concentration. Both methods require the operator to control the depth potentially damaging the integrity of the masonry construction.
It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application.